About Face
by Storybookgirl77
Summary: Set mid season 6 but AU from there. Castle is having a hard time dealing with the return of his nemisis. Laine and Esposito are growing closer. But is it safe? When the killer strikes again can Gates protect her team?
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer not mine. I own nothing related to Castle. Apart from a DVD boxset. No copyright infringement is intended nor should be** inferred.

**Face Value.**

"This is just too strange." Ryan sighed as he looked over the bullpen. Two murder victims. Two innocent people hung and left to die. It made him feel sick. Seeing the man that had been Esposito's doppelgänger had almost stopped his heart in his chest. His best friend and partner had been stood next to him but this second victim could have been a long lost twin.

"If it's strange for us, what do you think it's like for Laine and Esposito?"

"Seeing that man. Knowing it wasn't Javi." Kate shook her head. "It was weird seeing the first vic."

"Who's next." Gates asked as the three friends looked up. "That's what I want to know. You tell me these people are totally unrelated to two of our team, yet Mr Castle here thinks this is all related to a dead criminal."

"His body was never found." Castle stated as Kate looked at the floor. The man had almost destroyed them once, she wasn't about to let it happen again.

"He couldn't have survived that fall. No normal person could."

"Exactly." Castle looked at his partner. "No normal person. 3Sk isn't normal."

Gates took a deep breath as the detectives and the writer fell silent.

"Our priority here is to look after our colleagues and find the person responsible for these murders. Let's not lose sight of that." Gates stated before turning back to her office. Kate sighed as Ryan nodded.

"She's right. If we think this is bad. If we're worried what must Laine and Esposito be thinking?"

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Laine pulled off the latex gloves she had been wearing in the lab and threw them in the clinical waste bin. She was a medical examiner. A doctor. This was not what she went to med school for. This was not what she had signed up for when she had wanted to be a doctor. Finding the evidence the police needed to find and stop a killer was brilliant and she was proud of her work and her team. Now, now it was getting too close. Too personal.

"The woman even had the same freaking tatoo, in the same freaking place." She closed her eyes and tried to steady her breathing, knowing that in the lab she was safe. Probably safer than anywhere else.

"And we will find out what happened." She opened her eyes to see Detective Javi Esposito staring at her.

"I couldn't do the autopsy on the second vic." She stated. "I just kept seeing." She blinked back tears as Javi stepped nearer.

"Hey." He pulled her into his arms. "Hey, I'm fine. You are fine and we will stop this. You know we will."

"It's the thought that I was stupid enough to go on that leaving party. That I let my guard down."

"Laine." He hugged her. "You are not stupid. Never stupid. And why shouldn't you celebrate a colleague getting a better job? It's what normal people do."

"I." She closed her eyes as he tightened his hold on her. "I just keep seeing his face and part of me thinks it's you and I." She stopped talking as Esposito kissed her hair.

"Sorry." She pulled back.

"I haven't slept since we found the first vic. I know she wasn't you. I logically know you are fine and that this is some sickos idea of a joke. Castle thinks the quack is involved."

"He said."

"But I still can't sleep without seeing her face. Only it isn't her face." He shook his head.

"It's mine." Laine swallowed hard. "It's insane."

"Yeah." He pulled her into his arms once more, loving how it just felt right to hold her. "We have to find out who is doing this. Who's next? Ryan? Jenny? Beckett?"

"Don't." Laine sighed. "Don't even think about it. We will stop them, we will."

"I know." He kissed her gently as the phone began to ring in the background. Neither wanted to answer the call, both afraid of what the caller would say.

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"This is going from insane to." Ryan ran a hand over his face as Castle fought the urge to vomit. "Insane on a whole new level."

"He's alive." Gates stated as she approached both men.

"I can't believe this." Castle closed his eyes. "If I didn't know. If she wasn't just stood a hundred yards from me right now." He looked over to see Kate staring at the dead woman. "I'd think she was gone. I'd think."

"Don't do this." Gates spoke firmly. "You know Beckett is alive, you know Alexis and your mother are fine."

"Yeah." He nodded.

"So, out there someone who loved that woman doesn't have the luxury of knowing their wife, daughter, sister or mother is alive or dead. We find out her real identity and we find out what all this is about and so help me, the person responsible is going to be found." She turned and walked across to her younger colleague as Kate frowned.

"Detective."

"Sir."

"You alright?"

"Yes Sir."

"Because neither Mr Castle or Detective Ryan are doing very well." She paused. "Now this. I've instructed Ryan to check on Detective Esposito and Laine."

"Ok." Kate got to her feet. "This is evil. Pure evil."

"It is." Gates agreed. "Now, we have to find out who would do this. Dr Neiman isn't working alone. We have one man who we know logically has to be dead but either he has a copycat or he is alive."

"He's alive. As much as I don't want to believe it."

Gates nodded in agreement. They both still had nightmares caused by the man who plagued them not so long ago. "As to why he would do this."

"It's a warning." Castle walked over to the two women, still staring at Kate's dead doppelgänger. "He can still get to us. He is still in control. These people are just pawns in the game."

Gates folded her arms before glancing to where Laine and Esposito were now stood talking to Ryan. She shook her head before walking away. Kate frowned, looking at the dead body at her feet.

"He's not going to win." Kate looked towards her fiance. "Is he?"

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A/N Please review. I haven't seen the whole season yet, we just got up to the episode this fan fic is based on so it's totally AU. Hope you liked this. Should I go on? If I do it wont be in the same vein as the real Castle, more the way the case affects the team. Let me know what you think.


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer** I do not own Castle.**

**Facing Facts**

Kate placed the cell phone back on the coffee table and closed her eyes. She was exhausted, both mentally and physically. She had no idea how Castle or the rest of the team were feeling. It was just too weird.

"Kate?" Castle touched her hand, startling her back to the present.

"That was Gates." She looked at the table. "She said they have identified the body. They have a name for her."

"It was _you." _He sighed as Kate bit her lip. "I thought. Just for that moment. I knew you were safe. I knew you were just a few feet away with Captain Gates but she was you. For that minute."

"Her name is Catherine Becker. Aged 35. From Manchester, England. Worked as a detective in the Greater Manchester Police for a year before moving to New York. She was originally from London, moved to Manchester when she was 8. Was a model in her teens." Kate knew at least part of the dead woman's background mirrored her life. She shook her head. "It's such a waste. She was murdered because she was similar in appearance to me."

"Kate." He touched her hand. "She looked exactly like you."

"Yeah."

"Kate?" He frowned as her eyes focused on the cell phone on the coffee table. "How many more? Alexis? Mother? Ryan? Jenny? She's pregnant."

"It won't come to that." Kate bit her lip. "Too many people have died already." He could see she was beginning to get angry. "I'm going to the precinct." She grabbed her keys and walked to the door of the loft. Seconds later he stopped her.

"No. Not now. There is nothing that can be done tonight." He spoke calmly. "You know there is nothing to be done tonight." He hugged her to him, burying his face in her hair as she clung to him, knowing that her greatest fear was about to happen. Castle was going to be next.

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Esposito opened his eyes, glad that he was awake before the alarm. Years in the military had made him a light sleeper. Sighing he rolled onto his side to see Laine still sleeping.

"Laine Parish." He whispered as he saw a single tear escape her eyes. "We will catch them. And they will pay for this." He whispered before gently wiping the tear away. He stilled his hand as she opened her eyes.

"Javi."

"It's ok." He smiled slightly.

"You." She bit her lip. "It was you."

"I'm here. I'm fine." He brushed a strand of dark hair away from her face. "It's ok."

"But it's not." Laine sighed. "Is it? Nothing about this is ok. We have three victims. All of which are, pardon the pun dead ringers for you, me and Kate. How can that be ok?"

"It's not." Esposito agreed. "It's so far from ok it's unbelievable. But we are here and we are fine."

"Yeah." She blinked as one hand came up to cup his cheek, her thumb brushing over the stubble that had grown in the night. "We're here."

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Gates took her glasses off and threw them on her desk in disgust. It was rare that she was so affected by a case that she arrived in her office in the early hours of the morning. The dim lights of the Bullpen the only evidence the night shift were still there.

"Sir."

She looked up to see Ryan staring at her.

"Detective Ryan." Gates answered. "What is it?"

"You know? This case. None of us are safe."

"No, none of us. We have three victims. Three families grieving. All of whom need closure." Gates watched as her junior officer nodded. "We find the killer. We give them closure. Justice."

"Wont bring back their loved ones."

"No." Gates nodded. "No it wont. Are you alright, Detective?"

"Yes Sir." Ryan paused. "Captain? What if this is just a warning? What if that doctor and the sicko behind this are just warning us of what they can do? I mean we know she specialises in cosmetic surgery. She can make anyone look like anyone else given enough time."

"You think Dr Reims is making the victims look like members of this team?"

"Yeah." She watched as he nodded. "3SK hates Beckett and Castle. He's alive. I know he is. The more I think about it, the more this is his style. And there can't be many people sick enough to become his copycat."

"Evidence?" Gates sat back in her chair.

"Not yet. A hunch."

"Back that theory up with evidence and an arrest." Gates picked up her glasses. Ryan nodded before going back into the bullpen and starting up his computer. It was going to be a long night, but with Jenny staying at her parents' for the weekend he had enough time to sit at home and worry. At least in work he could focus on being useful. Tapping a few keys his computer whirred into life. He picked up the memory stick he had brought from home and loaded it into the computer, his heart stopping in his mouth as he realised what he was seeing. The first few chords of the Vera Lynn classic filled the air just as Esposito and Gates entered the bullpen.

"We find this man." Gates snapped. "I don't care how much resources we throw at it. I am not making it easy for him to keep threatening my team. This ends, People." She marched back into the office as the partners glared at the computer, knowing that 3SK would be back.

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A/N Filler chapter, to set it up for the action next time. Please review.


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer I do not own Castle. Thanks to the reviewer who pointed out the mistake. :D**

**End of the Beginning**

Gates looked out over the Bullpen. She was unbelievably angry. She knew her team were doing their best to make sure that they caught the killer but with the sounds of the Vera Lynn classic filling the room it was becoming more and more difficult to see how they could get one step ahead of the man they were now convinced was still alive.

"Detective Esposito." She called across the Grid. "You better not be thinking of overtime this month."

"No Sir." Esposito tried not to roll his eyes. "Hey, Ryan."

"Hi." The detective yawned as he looked across to his friend. "You ok?"

"Yeah. Some guy gets murdered because he looks like me, Laine is terrified and Beckett has a lookalike in the mortuary. Three murders, three people dead because at one time they paid a passing resemblance to us. This is one sick puppy we are dealing with."

"That we are agreed on." Gates folded her arms across her chest. "Question is, what do we do about it?"

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Kate ran a hand through her hair as she sat staring at the floor. She was worried sick about her adopted family. Martha and Alexis were important to her and the thought of anything happening to either them or Castle made her blood run cold.

"Why Vera Lynn?" Castle asked as he walked into the living room. "The forces sweetheart. Why?"

"It's not her." Kate sighed. "Not the singer, it's the song."

"Are you sure?" Castle had spent the last hour trying to find out if it were credible that a psychopathic apparently dead serial killer could be a fan of a wartime singer. He frowned as he sat next to her.

"We'll meet again. Don't know where, don't know when but I know we'll meet again. Someday." She turned to face him. "He's coming back. He's telling us we wont know where or when but he is coming back." She got to her feet and began pacing. "Where's Alexis?"

"With her boyfriend." He pulled a face as Kate smiled slightly. In reality Alexis had a good judge of character and the boy in question was a good soul. It was just that no one would ever be good enough in Rick's eyes. It was quite endearing when she thought about it.

"What about Martha?"

"Acting class." He sighed. "Then Opera with her friend, Lydia."

"Opera? Martha?"

"It's a new diner in the East Side." He watched as Kate nodded. "Now, you really think that song is a warning?"

"Oh yes." She grabbed her jacket.

"Where are you going?"

"Work." She turned to see him pick up his own coat.

"We have to find something on this psycho before anyone else ends up dead." She marched out of the apartment as he followed behind.

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A/N more soon x


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer not mine**

**Work**

Martha walked out of the new 'hip' resteraunt she had eaten dinner in with her friend, Margaret. The night air still had the chill of early Spring evenings as people spilled out onto the sidewalk from the doorway of the Opera.

"Martha, darling." She turned to see her friend looking over towards the crowd. "Isn't that your Richard?" Martha frowned, knowing that her only child was no where near that side of the city.

"It can't be. He's with Kate tonight."

"Really? It looked just like him. And the blonde with him did not look like Detective Beckett."

"I can assure you, Margaret I know my son when I see him. And that was not my son." She pulled her wrap around her before heading towards the cabs waiting for patrons of the various resteraunts and clubs in the area to hire them. Margaret huffed before following her to the car. Martha looked out over the road, knowing someone had killed the lookalikes of her son's friends. She shook her head, hoping the same wouldn't happen to the young man her friend had seen.

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"Beckett." Gates called her name as she walked into the bullpen.

"Sir?"

"Any news?"

"Only a memory stick with Dame Vera Lynn singing." Kate ran a hand through her hair. "He's taunting us and he knows exactly how to get us to react."

"Well, he has me paying attention." The older woman glared. "Now, I want to know if there are anymore lookalikes out there. If Mr Castle is right then I want to know if we should be trying to protect people from this man."

"So far." Castle sighed. "We have lookalikes of Esposito, Laine and Kate in the mortuary. You think that 3XK is going to keep going?"

"I see no reason for him to stop. If and I am only saying if it is him." Gates folded her arms as Kate nodded.

"It has to be him." Ryan frowned. Esposito nodded.

"Yeah, I think it is him." He curled his hands into fists. "Give me five minutes alone with him."

"Javi." Kate sighed. Gates raised an eyebrow.

"I did not hear that, Detective Esposito." She turned before walking into her office. The sound of the phone ringing on his desk brought his attention back to the matter in hand. Picking it up on the third ring he closed his eyes, clearly trying to think.

"Laine. Slow down." He listened to the Medical Examiner as she spoke. "Laine. Hey." He grabbed his jacket with one hand. "Stay where you are. I am on the way." He paused. "Stay locked in. I am leaving now, I'll be there." He ended the call before heading towards the exit.

"Where are you going?" Ryan called out.

"Someone has got into my apartment. Lainey is there."

"Why is she there?" Gates asked. "Is there something I should know about you and Dr Parish?"

"Only that someone is in my apartment, she is alone and her life has already been threatened once. I thought she was going to the Lab but she must have left earlier than I thought."

"Or she never got there." Kate grabbed her jacket. "Javi, she's my best friend." He nodded before heading out of the building. Castle and Ryan were seconds behind them.

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"Kate." Castle sat next to her as she drove the short distance to her friend's apartment building. Esposito had lived in the same block since he had become a detective. It was as familiar to her as driving to her father's place. Her hand gripped the wheel tightly, her knuckles white with the effort of concentration.

"She's my friend." Kate stated simply. "We are like sisters. She knew about you and me before we did."

"Kate, I think everyone knew about us before we did." He watched as her eyes kept their gaze firmly on the road. Moments later they pulled the car up outside the apartment building. Kate reached for her gun as she noticed the figure huddled in the doorway.

"Oh no." Castle was out the car and running towards his friends as quickly as his shaky legs could take him. Esposito reached the figure a second before he did.

"Lainey? Hey." Esposito reached out and brushed a strand of dark hair away from her face. "Come on." He waited for a response. Kate covered her mouth with one hand and tried not to think about her friend. She had to think like a cop. It was the only way they were going to find the man that had hurt them all.

"No." Her eyes snapped open as both Ryan and Esposito gasped.

"It's ok." Ryan recovered first. "Lainey, you're ok." Esposito nodded as she slumped against him. Castle looked around, knowing 3XK would be there somewhere, watching. Laughing. At them. He frowned slightly realising that Kate was nowhere in sight.

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A/N More soon.


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer not mine**

**Kate?**

"Where is she?" Castle mumbled as he looked up at the brick front of Esposito's apartment building. It was obvious to him that Kate had gone inside. He couldn't see where else she could go. Part of him admired her bravery another part was worried sick.

"Kate?" Laine pulled away from Esposito for a moment. "She was here?"

"Yeah." Ryan nodded. "She was just here."

"He's still in there." Castle nodded to the window. "Laine. Please, I know this is awful but do you know where he went? Do you have any idea?"

"No." She closed her eyes for a moment. "No. He was there. I." She began shaking as Esposito pulled her into his arms. Ryan looked around, horrified at the thought 3XK may have harmed his friend and now may have Kate.

"Javi, get Lainie to the hospital."

"No." She shook her head. "We have to find Kate. I'm fine."

"No you are not." Castle snapped. "No one is fine after a run in with that piece of. Ryan is right. You need to be checked over in the ER and we need to not have to worry about you." Laine bit her lip and nodded as Esposito helped her to her feet.

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Kate glared straight ahead. She had been angry earlier, now she was furious. The sight of her friend in tears made her feel sick. She knew exactly what the man they knew as 3XK was capable of. Her gun in front of her, part of her knew she had been foolish. She should have told the guys what she had seen. It had been too quick she reasoned. She was never going to be able to explain to them why she had gone on her own, but this was her fight now. The man they had believed to be dead, rotting at the bottom of the river had escaped again and was hurting her friends. People had died. just because of the way they looked.

"I." She swung her gun the left only to be knocked to the floor by something much larger and heavier than she was. Her head cracked against the wooden edge of the door as the man she had been looking for lifted her into his arms.

"Come on, Detective." He smirked as her gun clattered to the floor. "Time for payback."

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Castle looked through the rooms as Ryan held out his gun in front of him. Ryan glared at him as the sound of his cell phone ringing filled the room. Castle frowned, his heart hammering in his chest. Carefully he answered it.

"Missing someone?"

"If you touch her. I."

"You'll what Mr Castle?" The man on the other end of the phone laughed. "I suggest you stop calling the shots and wait until I call you again. Dr Parish was just a taster of what I am capable of. You know that. I'll be in touch."

The call ended as Castle threw the cell phone on the floor in disgust. "He has her." He turned to an ashen faced Ryan. "He has Kate."

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A/N please review.


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer not mine**

**Man Hunt**

Gates folded her arms as she watched the men in her team, along with Castle work around the bullpen as news of Kate's abduction spread. It was clear that she had always been the one who had kept the team together. Esposito could barely hold his anger together, refusing to mention anything about Laine and what had happened at the hospital. Ryan seemed lost. Unable to focus on one thing for more than a few seconds whereas Castle was scared. She could see that he was furious that 3XK had taken her and even more furious that he had no idea where she was.

"Gentlemen." Gates called out across the room. Initially she was ignored. "GENTLEMEN!" She tried again, this time getting the attention of her team.

"We know this man has taken one of our own. We know he has damaged this team but he has not broken it."

"Sir." Esposito paused as she turned to face him.

"No." She stated. "Katherine Beckett is one of our own. She is not going to be left out to dry - this man has murdered more people than I care to count. More families have been destroyed by this sick son of a ." She paused "He will not do it to Kate's family. He will not do it to the Beckett family." She narrowed her eyes. "He will not do it to this family. Do you hear me? I am not going to stand in front of Jim Beckett and tell him his only child is dead. DO YOU UNDERSTAND?"

"Yes Sir." Castle got to his feet before getting to his feet. "We know why he did this. We kinda know how. Attacking Laine at Esposito's apartment was always going to get our attention."

"And?" Ryan paused.

"What we don't know is what now? Where is she?" Castle closed his eyes. "Where is she?"

"Detective Esposito." Gates walked towards the younger man. "How is Dr Parish?"

"Shaken up." He paused. "Her and Beckett are like sisters. Always have been."

"And? Does Laine have any idea what might have happened?"

"No." Esposito closed his eyes for a moment. "No, she aint got no idea." He looked up. "She's barely said a word. She and I. Well. We. I mean."

"I think we all know you and Dr Parish are an item." Gates smiled sadly. "Look after her Detective. She's too good for you."

"I told him that." Castle mumbled as Esposito raised an eyebrow. "I also know how this scum can get under your skin. How he can drive you mad before you even realise. That's worse than what he did to those victims."

"The Doctor in the ER gave her some sedatives." Esposito sighed. "I called her Mom, she's staying with her while I'm here. And uniform are watching her place. She's safe."

"Good." Gates knew that was the only information she was going to get. "Now, we know Castle and Beckett were together when they saw you and Ryan."

"Yeah."

"So why did she go off on her own? Why would she do that? Had she seen something?"

"Kate." Castle paused as he said her name. "She saw him. I know she did."

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A/N more soon


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer not mine - a very strong T chapter. Please skip if offended.**

**Lost Without You**

"He's going to kill her." Castle stated, hating how calm his voice sounded. He wanted to rage against the world. His Kate had been taken. 3XK had taken her to hurt him, and it was working. Memories of Alexis' abduction came to mind as he glared at the coffee cup Esposito had put on his desk.

"No. She isn't gonna die." Esposito stated. Castle narrowed his eyes.

"She could already be dead. Javi, she's out there and there is no way I can help her."

"Don't." Ryan stated as he joined them. "Don't say that. Kate isn't dead."

"We have no way of knowing that." Castle glared. "You know we don't and we know who we are dealing with. So far he has murdered three innocent people in cold blood. He has attacked Laine and now Kate is missing because she was separated from me. From us."

"You are underestimating her." Gates folded her arms as she looked at the mystery writer. "You should know better than that."

"I."

"Now you listen to me." Gates sat on the chair which was usually occupied by Kate. "You find her. You find her alive and do not ever let me hear you disrespect a member of this team, this family again."

"I didn't."

"You assume Detective Beckett is dead. How dare you assume that as a serving police officer. A detective of the twelfth that she cannot handle herself? She's find a way of letting us know where she is." Gates turned to see Esposito nod. Castle's eyes filled with tears he knew he would never shed.

"Sir." Ryan began.

"Ryan you and Esposito go to the hospital. Talk to Dr Parish. See if she can remember anything."

"OK." Esposito nodded.

"Mr Castle and I are going to take some time to go through these files. We will find the weak link. We already have a forensic accountant going through Dr Neiman's accounts. There is something there and it will be found."

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The floor was freezing cold. That was the first thought that came to mind. She felt sick and cold, unable to stop herself shivering as she looked around. Moments later she realised she was on the stainless steel floor of a mortuary.

"Good evening." She kept her eyes on the wall opposite as she heard the man speak. Castle had been right and now there was nothing she could do about it. "I see you are awake. Now, now Detective Beckett there is no need to keep quiet. I assure you that your doctor friend didn't."

"You scum." Kate snapped.

"Yes, that was one of the things the fragrant Dr Parish said." He smirked as Kate glared at him. "You do understand that this is nothing personal? Your death is merely a means to an end?"

"Go to Hell." Kate spoke calmly. "Go to Hell."

"Yes, I suppose I will. Only I wont be the only one there." The urge to vomit almost overwhelmed her as he dragged her to her feet. Unable to fight back she panicked. "Oh I gave you a paralytic when you were out. Didn't want any nasty little squabbles." He dragged her towards a chair in the corner before throwing her into it. His hand gently caressed her face. Kate narrowed her eyes, every cell in her body told her to hit him, to fight back but she couldn't move. Her hands wouldn't move. Her heart raced as he laughed at her. His eyes narrowed as he traced a finger along her face before grabbing her, pulled her towards him and kissed her hard.

"Just seeing what that man sees in you." He laughed at the horrified look on her face when he pulled back. "Maybe I should go further."

"We don't have time for this." He turned to see the doctor cross the room towards them. "Kate, I told you that you needed some work done. The woman's eyes bore into hers but Kate had never been so glad to see her.

"I was just playing." He turned back to Kate. "You can wait. I'll have my fun later." Moments later he hoisted her immobile body into the air before dumping her in a body bag. Kate wanted to scream, to cry but the only thought that preoccupied her was getting back to Castle.

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"We need to ask you a few questions." Ryan started as Laine looked up at him. She nodded silently.

"Any news? Kate?"

"Not yet." Esposito took her hand. "If you'd rather me not be here. You can talk to Kevin alone."

"It would be better." She sighed as he squeezed her hand. He nodded to his best friend before leaving them alone. He knew whatever Laine had to say she would tell him in her own time. Ryan sat next to the doctor as she looked at her hands.

"Laine, if you'd rather talk to someone else."

"Honestly? I'd rather talk to Kate but I can't. Can I?"

"You will. We will find her. You can help us do that." She nodded.

"I went to Javi's apartment. I knew he would be home around 5, so I decided to buy us some take out and wait for him." She closed her eyes. "He was already there. Not Javi. I know he was with you but he was there."

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Gates stared at the files loading on Kate's computer, impressed with the way Castle booted up the files so quickly. Minutes later he tapped a password in.

"That's mine. Not Kate's. She would never tell me."

"Good." Gates nodded, placing her reading glassess on her face. "That's."

"Impossible." Castle paused as the phone rang. He grabbed the receiver as Gates glared. "You tell me where she is." He hissed. "You touch her." He screwed his eyes shut as he listened to the other man. Gates motioned for the technical officer she had pulled in from White Collar crimes to trace the call. "I don't care what you do to me. I will find you." Castle stated, hating how the other man laughed. Moments later the call ended.

"Where?" Gates looked towards the young woman who had traced the call.

"Sir, he bounced it off every satallite up there." She paused.

"Monica."

"I can narrow it down to New York. Near the Ninth Precint. That's all. I can give you a general area."

"Boston." Castle glared. "That's Boston, the Nineth. There's a morgue there."

"It's been disused since the early 2000s."

"She's there." Castle got to his feet. "She's there. Kate is there. She has to be."

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A/N Please review. More soon.


	8. Chapter 8

**Disclaimer I don't own Castle - blink and you miss it mention of Rizoli and Iles. I don't own that either.**

**Boston**

"She's in Boston?" Gates raised her eyebrows and folded her arms. Castle nodded once.

"It's the only place I know that has a disused morgue. It's just like that sick son of a "

"I know a detective in Boston." Esposito stated as he searched his desk for his cell phone. "Jane Rizoli. Good cop. I think she is still there. Her brother, well her baby brother is a cop too."

"Can you get hold of one of them? See if they know if anything has happened at the morgue?" Ryan asked as Esposito nodded.

"I can do better than that Bro." He smiled. "I can get us there in an hour. Jane and her team may be able to help but we know this sicko better than anyone."

"I want to be there." Castle stated. "Whatever way this goes. I want to be there."

"OK." Gates nodded, suddenly seeing the pain in the writer's eyes. "You get to be there. I'll call my counterpart in Boston. Get ready to go over there. He owes me a few favours. "She smiled slyly before heading back to the sanctuary of her office. Esposito threw his leather jacket on as Ryan grabbed his wallet.

"You heard the Captain." Esposito stated. "Get ready to go. Castle call Alexis or your Ma, tell them we are gonna be out of New York City for a while. That we have a lead."

"He could be bugging our calls." Ryan stated.

"Yeah, he'll know we are on to him." Castle frowned. "Kate."

"Let him think we are. Tell them we are heading to where we believe 3XK died. That we will be gone all day."

"Throw him off the scent." Ryan smirked. "Yeah, might work."

"I need more than might." Castle snapped.

"We are as much in the dark as you are." Esposito snapped. "Beckett is my friend. She's a damn good cop and you aren't the only one who loves her."

"Like a sister." Ryan nodded. "Gates was right. The 12th is family. Now we do this." He handed Castle the smart phone he had bought just a few weeks earlier. Castle nodded, knowing his friends were right.

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Kate felt sick. She had no idea where she was or if the others knew she was still alive. Nothing Tyson said could be trusted. That was the only thing she knew. Nothing the man said or did could be believed. She bit her bottom lip, trying not to think of the pain in her lower back or the way her knees seemed to burn every time she moved.

"He is on the wrong scent." He smirked as Kate kept her eyes firmly on the ceiling. She had no wish to look at him any more than she had to. There was no way she was going to give him the satisfaction of knowing how scared she really was.

"Kate. Katie? Katherine."

Her eyes narrowed. Only her mother had ever referred to her as Katie, Katherine was used when she was in trouble with the Principle in High School. Kate was only reserved for those who knew her. To the rest of the world she was Detective Beckett. He was not going to strip her of that now.

"Detective." She snapped. "My name is Detective Beckett. I am an NYPD Detective from Homicide Squad."

"Yeah? From where I'm looking Detective 1st Grade. You are bait." He snarled as she looked away. There was no way she was going to believe she was a victim.

"Why?"

"Why?" He snapped. "Why didn't I kill you when I had the chance? Why didn't I leave Castle to rot? To leave your body the way I left the others?"

"Because you aren't the one in charge." Kate suddenly realised. "You never were. No, it's her. It's that plastic surgeon." The crack across her face turned the world black as she slumped back down, not quite unconscious but not fully alert either.

"You let her work it out."

He looked up and snarled. "She's bright. And like Castle said, good at what she did."

"He'll find us. Him and his police friends." She knelt in front of Kate as she looked over her injurues. "You enjoy yourself Honey? Looks like you did."

"Yeah well." He snarled as the doctor looked at the state Kate was now in. "If he does find us, I get to make him suffer. This isn't about killing Richard Castle."

"Then what?" She turned to watch him as Tyson smirked.

"This is about making sure he knows who has won."

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A/N Please review. Castle may need his friends more than he thinks. Can Rizoli and Iles help? How is Laine? And can 3XK be stopped?


	9. Chapter 9

Disclaimer not mine - cross over with Rizzoli and Iles. I don't own that either.

Friend in Need?

The police department was bigger than Esposito remembered. He looked around, remembering his time there, when things had been so simple.

"Hey!" He turned as he heard a female voice call out.

"Jane!"

"I heard you were coming." She hugged him. "Bad news about your partner. Is there anything we can do?"

"Actually." Ryan nodded.

"Yeah, look Jane is there some place we can talk?"

"I'm off to the morgue." Jane stated, her long black hair falling forward. "I have to meet Maura. We have an active case."

"Right." Ryan glanced at Castle who looked as though he was either going to scream or cry. "You heard of 3XK?"

"Who hadn't?" Jane looked from one man to the other. "No. No freaking way."

"He attacked a medical examiner." Castle informed her. "So far Dr Laine Parish is his only surviving victim. We don't know how long Kate has left."

"I'll help." Jane pulled out her cell phone, calling a Detective Frost she asked him and Korsak to join them. A second call has Maura Iles aware of what was going on.

"Hey." Korsak looked pleased to see the group, shaking Esposito's hand warmly. "What do you need?"

"Back up." Esposito stated

"You got it." Jane stated.

Castle ran a hand over his face, knowing the Boston Homicide team meant well but everything was taking too long . Frost nodded

"I'll clear it with the Leuitenant."

"Thank you." Castle smiled slightly at the younger man. "We also need access to any facilities that may have been used as a morgue."

"The Boston PD only has one." Frost spoke confidently. "It's where Dr Iles is right now doing the autopsy on our latest Vic."

"Kids." Korsak shook his head. "There is another. It's not been used for at least twenty years. Look, I've been a cop longer than most of you have been alive. The county hospital used to house the morgue. Jane, call Maura tell her to head over to the hospital. She may be able to help. Mr Castle."

"Rick." He corrected, immediate liking the older man. Korsak smiled.

"Rick, you, Ryan and Frost with me. Esposito, you and Jane head over there with Frankie." She nodded before ushering the men out of the department,

Xxxxxx

Kate was furious. She had no idea what Tyson and the Witch Doctor as she had taken to calling her were planning. She just knew it was never going to be good. Carefully she opened her eyes, knowing she had little or no chance of escaping. This man wanted her dead. It was as plain and nasty as that. She knew Tyson would never be happy until he had destroyed Castle. Killing her would be the only way he would be able to do it.

Listening closely she rolled onto her side, wincing at the pain of what she knew was broken or badly bruised ribs. Trying not to gasp she knew she had to get through the pain barrier before she had a chance. The whole room was silent as she got to her feet. Turning in a circle she could see the room had no windows, no air vent and only one very locked door.

"Shit." She muttered wondering just how she was ever going to get home.

Xxxxxxxx

Jane parked the car a few feet away from the disused morgue. Esposito pulled his gun and checked it was loaded.

"Place looks deserted." Frankie stated. Jane nodded.

"Are you sure this is the place?" Jane frowned in concern as Esposito nodded. The car containing the rest of the team parked along side theirs. For a moment Esposito caught Castle's eye.

"Yeah." He nodded. "It has to be."

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a/n more romance next time. Is Kate going to be ok? Please review


	10. Chapter 10

**Disclaimer not mine(slight cross over with Rizoli and Iles but I don't own that either. Mainly Caskett.)**

**Reunited?**

Esposito checked his gun, his mind focused solely on finding his friend. None of this made any sense to him. Innocent people had been killed, just because of their physical resemblance to him and his friends. He remembered the gut wrenching pain when he had believed Laine to be the first victim and then again when he realised she had been attacked. For a moment he knew he had an idea what Castle was going through.

"Javi?"

"I'm ok, Jane. She has to be in there."

"How do you want to play this?" She asked, aware that the rest of her friend's team had arrived.

"Same as ever." Javi nodded as he saw Ryan approach the deserted morgue. "We catch the bad guy and go get a beer."

"Ok." Jane nodded. She checked her own gun before opening the car door praying they found the detective alive.

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Kate was hungry, thirsty, cold and extremely angry. She had no idea where she was, only that there was a very good chance she was no longer in New York and her friends were probably running out of time. They had no idea where she was and she had no idea if any of them were hurt. Closing her eyes she tried not to think of her father and Castle, Martha or Alexis. She tried to push all thoughts of Ryan, Esposito, Laine and Gates out of her mind. She knew that would only be playing into the hands of the psychopaths that had taken her and killed innocent people. The one thing she would not allow them to take would be her sanity. Opening her eyes once more she swallowed hard, certain she had heard a door scrape open but unsure who was heading for her this time.

"Up." She felt herself being dragged to her feet. Kate allowed him to drag her to her feet but slumped against him, letting him carry her total body weight. "I said on your feet." 3XK tried again. Kate feigned semi consciousness, determined to make moving her as difficult as possible. The sound of footsteps approaching certainly seemed to worry the man holding her, which she could only assume was a good thing.

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"Here." Ryan stated as Dr Maura Iles freed the lock on the rear door of what was once the most used Morgue in the state. "Be careful, this place hasn't been used for twenty years. I have no idea how well it has been maintained or if it has been maintained at all."

"Thanks." Ryan smiled slightly at her. "You should stay out here."

"Good luck with that." Jane smirked as her best friend shook her head. The Medical Examiner was hardly dressed for sneaking up on a known murderer who was holding a police officer hostage but Jane knew that would not stop her friend.

"He attacked Laine Parish. I was in Med School with her. I am not standing out here. Anyway, you need someone who knows the way around in there."

"She's right." Castle stated, speaking for the first time since they had found the partially obstructed fire escape. "We're wasting time here."

"Ok, ok." Esposito checked his gun as he pulled the door open, cringing slightly as he heard the metal door scrape against the floor. Moments later he lead the team into the building, hoping that Castle kept his cool. Ryan ushered Castle in through the door ahead of Detective Korsak and Frost, silently hoping that he could keep his friends safe and stop any more people being killed.

Castle narrowed his eyes as he tried to adjust to the near pitch black darkness. The former morgue looked to have been abandoned years earlier. He felt sick, knowing Kate was somewhere in the building. He ran a hand over his face as he thought about his fiance, knowing she was probably the strongest woman he had ever known he just didn't know if she was strong enough to survive at the hands of a serial killer who had a grudge against her.

"Castle." Frost nodded towards a doorway as footsteps and muffled voices could be heard from above. He nodded, seeing what the young man was trying to tell him. Esposito checked his gun.

"Stay here." Esposito stated.

"Not a chance." Castle pushed the door open, allowing it to scrape against the bare floor. He knew there was a very real chance his nemesis knew he was on the way but he didn't care. All that mattered was finding Kate alive.

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"Yes, Sir." Gates rested her head on one hand as she cradled the phone in the other. "I am aware of my jurisdiction. I am also aware that one of my team may be a murder victim if we don't get our asses in gear and find her. Sir, with the greatest respect, I do not intend to be the one to tell Mr Beckett that not only is his wife a murder victim but so is his only child." She hung up, cursing under her breath. The Commissioner was not happy two Homicide Detectives had crossed boundaries into Boston but she couldn't bring herself to care. Seconds later the door to her office swung open to reveal the large set man in the doorway.

"Captain Gates."

"Sir."

"I do not like the tone of voice you just used on our phone conversation." He watched as she placed both hands on her desk before pushing herself to her feet.

"Is that so? Well, Commissioner I resent the fact that you seem to think that I should leave one of my team, one of my best detectives out there with no back up just because she may have been taken across city boarders. I do not like the insinuation that I should waste time playing politics while she may be dead already and her father and her extended family wait to find out if she is alive. I, for one will not look her father in the eye and tell him we did everything we could to find her if I know we didn't. You Sir, can do that."

"Really, Captain Gates."

"Now if you don't mind." She held his gaze, determined to live up to her reputation of being 'Iron Gates' until the man left her office. Only then did she sit down and close her eyes for a moment as she tried to maintain the facade of calm and professional she knew the rest of the world expected to see.

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Kate let all her weight flop onto the man's left side as she pretended to be too weak to take her own weight.

"C'mon." Neiman snapped as she joined them. "We have to get out of here. Put her out of her misery." She glared at Kate who tried to remain lifeless, despite wanting to claw the other woman's eyes out. Tyson smirked as heheld her tightly, pining one arm against her side.

"No. I haven't finished my fun yet. Infact, it hasn't even started." Kate felt her stomach turn as she felt his breath on her neck. He knew she was still alive but she had no idea how much longer that would be the case. The sound of a door creaking open caught his attention as the plastic surgeon spun on her heel.

"Oh I think it's over." Castle stated as he stood in front of the man he had once believed to be dead. Kate felt her heart rate speed up dangerously as she heard Castle's voice. Gunshots ran out as she felt her body fall.

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A/N more soon.


	11. Chapter 11

**Disclaimer not mine**

**Fall**

Kate felt her body fall forward as gunfire echoed around her. She heard a female voice she barely recognise call her name as footsteps ran near her. Castle remained rooted to the spot, unable to move for what felt like eternity. Suddenly Neimann screamed as the female voice grew closed. Kate opened her eyes slightly, aware that someone was reading the rights as Neimenn was arrested.

"Kate." Javier glared at Castle as he held his gun on the man that had tried to ruin their lives and had ruined so many others. Castle nodded, finally finding his feet as Ryan and Jane dragged the injured woman out. Castle stepped forward, watching 3XK as he did. Suddenly the man who had caused them all so much pain seemed pathetic and lost. His plans had been destroyed relatively easily.

"You, are under arrest." Javier stated as he stepped forwards. 3XK lifted his gun one more time, pointing it directly at Kate's head as she pushed herself up onto her knees. Castle looked up from his place at Kate's side, glaring into the eyes of the man that had tried to destroy him. "Give me an excuse to pull this trigger." Javier glared. "Just one."

"You'd never shoot me." He laughed as Kate's eyes focused on the gun staring at her.

"I would." Castle jumped to his feet, wrestling the gun away from Kate. She staggered to her feet as Korsak reached her side.

"I'm with the good guys." He smiled at her as he took her elbow. Kate nodded, recognising the older man. "Lets get you out of here."

"No." She shook her head, looking over to where Castle had been struggling with the man who had held her hostage for the last three days. Esposito held his gun steady, desperate to get a clear shot. Moments later a second gunshot reverberated around the room. Both men stopped struggling. Kate felt her blood run cold as she watched Castle lay silent on the floor. Korsak held her elbow as she felt her knees weaken. "Rick!"

"Urgh." Castle snapped as he pushed the body of the larger man off him. "That was not how I thought that would go."

"Really? You planned that?" Javier rolled the unconscious body of the serial killer over. The blood oozed out of his shoulder. "Dude isn't dead."

"Thank God." Castle whispered.

"Rick." Kate whispered as he got to his feet.

"Hey." He smiled as Maura and some paramedics appeared to begin dealing with Tyson's wounds.

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Laine stared out over the bullpen as Gates ended the phone call. She felt sick with worry but knew Gates would only have asked her to come to the station if she had something to tell her. She prayed it was good news. That Kate was safe and the nightmare was finally over.

"Thanks for coming. Dr Parish?" Gates frowned as the younger woman looked up. "Are you ok?"

"Yeah. I. Hi, yeah I'm fine." She nodded as Gates ushered her into the inner office.

"I just spoke with Detective Ryan." She watched as Laine stared at her intently. "They're ok. They've found Detective Beckett alive and relatively unharmed." Laine smiled, relieved that her friends were coming home. "That little piece of scum that caused all this is currently in the OR having a bullet removed. I don't know the exact details, but it seems Esposito shot him."

"Really?"

"Apparently he warned him prior to the shot but he had no choice but to fire." Gates folded her arms across her chest. Neither woman believed that Esposito had fired the shot. "They'll be home in a couple of hours. The Boston PD will guard Tyson until he can be transferred back to New York."

"I see." Laine frowned.

"Are you sure you are ok?"

"Yeah. May be not but I will be." She smiled before watching the rest of the homicide squad celebrate the fact their team was coming home.

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Kate ran a hand over her face as Castle read a text message from Alexis. The other detectives were busy saying their goodbyes to the Boston detectives. Castle put the cell phone back in his pocket before turning back to Kate.

"Mother and Alexis are looking forward to having you back." Kate smiled slightly. "Hey?" He looked as tears filled her eyes. He crossed the room towards her as she shook her head.

"I'm ok." She bit her lip. "I."

"I thought we'd lost you." He whispered as he pulled her into his arms. Kate sighed as he held her, the emotion of the past few days had begun to catch up with them both.

"No way." Kate whispered. "But it's not over." She pulled back as Ryan and Esposito appeared. Castle frowned.

"No." Castle stated.

"But next time he crosses our path, we'll be ready." Kate stated determined that 3XK wouldn't win. Castle nodded as the guys caught up with them.

"Time to go home?" Ryan asked.

"Yeah." Kate nodded. "Yeah, time to go home."

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A/N Not entirely happy with the ending but this is the final chapter. Please review.


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